The murders of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azeem alias Ashraf will be looked at by a three-person judicial committee.
On Saturday night in Prayagraj, Atiq and Ashraf were fatally murdered while being transported to a medical college for an examination. The killing took place on live television as journalists were filming the two at the moment during a media encounter. The two were shot at close range.
The UP government issued prohibitory orders throughout the whole state after the murder. A short time after the murder, three gunmen who were shown firing repeatedly at Atiq and Ashraf in the video were detained.
Just one day after Atiq’s son Ashraf was slain by UP Police in an encounter in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, Atiq and Ashraf were both killed.
What do we know about the deaths of Atiq and Ashraf?
Atiq Ahmad, a gangster-turned-politician, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at close range by three guys on Saturday night in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The assassination took place in the midst of a media engagement, and the three individuals were impersonating journalists. Media video of the event was obtained in real time. The video shows the assailants abruptly entering the scene and shooting at Atiq and Ashraf from close range.
Ramit Sharma, the police commissioner for Prayagraj, told reporters about the event and added that the three attackers were taken into custody right away. He continued by saying that they had joined the gathering of journalists attempting to interview Atiq and Ashraf for soundbites.
Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were transported to the hospital for a medical checkup in compliance with a mandated legal obligation. According to early reports, three individuals who were pretending to be journalists approached them and started shooting. The assault claimed the lives of Ahmad and Ashraf. The assailants have been detained and are being interrogated, according to Sharma.
According to Sharma, the event resulted in the injury of police constable Man Singh when a bullet struck his arm. He also said that a journalist was damaged after falling during the commotion that followed the shooting.
The former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP was seen fainting as a guy pointed a pistol at his head as he spoke to media. The three attackers could still be seen shooting at the brothers in the video even after they had already fallen.
Tension erupted in the region after the dramatic murders, and the corpses that were laced with bullets were removed from the scene.
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has ordered a high-level investigation into the spectacular deaths of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azeem alias Ashraf in Prayagraj, according to authorities.
In order to preserve peace and order, authorities have issued prohibitory orders in all of Uttar Pradesh’s districts under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Prashant Kumar, Special DG, Law and Order, said that “the chief minister has constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of Ahmad and Ashraf,” adding that the three attackers were apprehended on the scene and a thorough investigation is ongoing.
According to Kumar, the chief minister called a high-level conference in Lucknow after the Prayagraj tragedy and ordered the investigation.
All of the state’s districts have received prohibition orders, according to Director of Information Shishir.
Responses to the murder
While Yogi Adityanath’s administration and the opposition in Uttar Pradesh saw the murder as a symbol of a failing law and order system, Adityanath’s fans and members of the government responded positively on social media.
Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), responded to the event by writing in Hindi on Twitter: “Crime has reached its zenith in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are undeterred. What about public safety if someone may be shot and killed within a police perimeter? Due to this, the general population is experiencing a climate of dread, which suggests that certain individuals are doing it on purpose.
Swatantra Dev Singh, a BJP politician, tweeted in Hindi: “Sins and good deeds are only evaluated in this life.”
The message seemed to be referring to Atiq and his illegal behaviour. He was recently found guilty in a case and sentenced to life in prison.
History of Atiq Ahmad Atiq Ahmad, a former SP MP, and his brother were detained in police custody after being taken before this court for a hearing in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal.
On April 13, a police confrontation in Jhansi resulted in the deaths of Asad, Ahmad’s son, and one of his companions.
Only a few distant relatives and neighbours were present inside the burial place on Saturday as Asad’s last rituals were conducted there under strong police surveillance.
In any case, the Uttar Pradesh Police were questioning Ahmad and Ashraf at the Dhoomanganj police station, which is around 3 kilometres from the burial site.
When asked about Asad’s passing by reporters, his uncle Ashraf said, “Allah has taken back what belonged to him.”
On February 24, shots were fired outside Umesh Pal’s Dhoomanganj home, killing him along with his two police security guards. Umesh Pal was a crucial witness in the murder trial of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal.
A case was filed on February 25 against Ahmad, Ashraf, Ahmad’s wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, assistants Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine other people based on a complaint made by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal.
On March 26, an Uttar Pradesh police team transported Ahmad, who was being held in the high-security Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to Prayagraj in order to present him in court in connection with the 2006 Umesh Pal abduction case.
On March 28, the court handed down a life sentence for Ahmad and two other defendants in the abduction case.
Umesh Pal was kidnapped by Ahmad and his associates in 2006, and they had him testify in their favour in court. Umesh Pal had this complaint filed against him.
In April 2019, the Supreme Court ordered that Ahmad be sent to a high-security facility in Gujarat after he was charged with planning the abduction and assault of Lucknow-based real estate investor Mohit Jaiswal while he was detained.
According to authorities, Ahmad was mentioned in more than 100 criminal cases, including the murder of Umesh Pal.
Raju Pal, a former BSP MLA who was shot dead in 2005, was one of the most dramatic crimes in which Ahmad was reportedly engaged.
Ahmad petitioned the Supreme Court for protection, stating that he and his family had been wrongly accused of being involved in the murder of Umesh Pal and that the Uttar Pradesh Police may kill him in a staged encounter.
